(Side note: I'm not sure I'm reviewing the right place. I see the address says 2540 19th Street. The restaurant I visited was on 32nd just east of Lowell. I will post this one here, and, if I find it is the wrong place, I will post there, too)
I totally liked this place. It is not quite like anything else I've experienced in the area, except may Manneken Frites. It's a small establishment on the same spot as another spot I used to love. The competition in the restaurant industry is brutal.
What you will find here is a "German" themed brew pub. The offer a variety of German beers, and sausages in a very casual atmosphere complete with a beer "garten" out back on the patio on nice days.
My wife and I, as we frequently do, came here on a Groupon. For beer, I had the Stiegl which is on tap. I had never had this beer before, but I loved it. I will be drinking it again. My wife, who likes the wheat ales, tried the Hacker Pschorr Hefe Weiss. It was a pretty respectable brew, but I still like the Stiegl much better.
It was tough finding food for us since we are vegetarian, but, among their many sausage offerings, alas, they have a Vegetarian Sausage, too. We both had one of those. I didn't ask, but it tasted to me a lot like one of the Tofurky or Boca Veggie Sausages I buy for consumption at home. The sausage comes on your choice of bread, and with your choice of sides. I forget to request a type of bread, so I got their standard roll, and I ordered mine with chips. My wife got the same, but she went with the Gurken Salat which turned out to be a German cucumber salad. The Gurken Salat was very small in size, just a few slices, and I didn't try it. The chips were served up in an adequate portion, and quite tasty - like kettle chips. The other option would be the German Potato Salad, but I'm guessing it would be pretty tiny, too.
The sausages come with a nice variety of sides you apply yourself, and help to justify the $7.95 price tag. When I was there, they had six different types of mustard including conventional mustards, jalapeno mustards, and this sauce I loved called, "Prost Sauce." On top of that, the have sauerkraut, both hot and cold, shredded cheese, onions, and sliced banana peppers that you can pile on as much as you like. With the Vegetarian Sausage, the toppings help to detract from the dryness of the sausage. I do not know, but I'm guessing they just keep those veggie sausages frozen, and microwave them when some fool like me comes in.
I loved the bench seating at this place, too, but be careful. It's not really sturdy. The place could have been a little cleaner, but I've certainly seen worse. All in all, I loved it, and would definitely go back. I also would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes Oktoberfest, who likes beers from that German/Austrian part of the world, and who loves brats with plenty of toppings. That one sausage and that one beer filled me up.
Oh, and by the way, I almost forgot to mention the fabulous Bavarian Pretzels. My wife and I shared one, and it was GREAT. It's not doughy like a lot of big pretzels. It was crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and, dipped in mustard, absolutely perfect. For $1.50 more, they'll give you cheese on the side, but I was not too impressed with the cheese side. Next time, I'll just go with the mustard.
This place is definitely something new and different in my book, and something I will recommend to friends. read more